Twined Together with Love
by chocolatequeen
Summary: When Rose is able to connect telepathically with their unborn baby, the Doctor realises she's more telepathic than he thought-which means she might be able to share a telepathic bond. Sequel to More Than Words Can Say, telepathic bonding fic


**AN: This is set in How Does She Know, following More Than Words Can Say.**

Rose rolled over in bed and pressed her lips together to hold back a whimper. She'd started getting headaches about a week ago, when she'd entered what the Doctor had called the second semester of her pregnancy.

She grimaced; at twenty-six weeks pregnant, she didn't fancy the notion of being pregnant for another twenty-four. The Doctor had offered the possibility that the baby's gestation period might be slightly shorter than a typical Gallifreyan pregnancy, but so far, everything had progressed exactly as he'd expected.

 _What to Expect When You're Expecting, alien edition_ , Rose thought wryly.

Another pain stabbed through her temple, and this time she didn't succeed in stifling her cry of pain. The Doctor, who had been asleep at her side, sat up so quickly the pain was still radiating through her scalp when he rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Rose? What's wrong, love?" His hand hovered over her belly. "Is it the baby?"

She shook her head carefully. "Well, not like you're thinking," she amended. "I've been getting headaches ever since I entered semester two. They're worse tonight than they have been, though."

"Headaches? Why didn't you say something?" He swung his legs out of bed and reached for his dressing gown.

Rose groaned. "Because I knew you'd want to run tests and stuff and I'm pretty sure they're just because of my hormones. I know some women get headaches when they're pregnant."

The Doctor froze with one arm halfway in the sleeve of his dressing gown. The panic seemed to have faded, but Rose couldn't read the new expression on his face at all.

A frisson of worry trembled down her back. Maybe she'd been wrong? Maybe a headache was a big deal when you were carrying a Gallifreyan baby?

He slowly lowered his arm and let the dressing gown fall to the floor. "You're right," he mumbled. "Some women get headaches when they're pregnant." He tugged on his ear. "Er, can I ask… where is your head hurting?"

Rose sighed and pushed herself upright so she could recline against the cushioned headboard. "Sorta in my temple," she said, pointing to the spot just behind her eyes.

The Doctor's hands spasmed at his sides. "And… And what kind of pain is it?" he asked, his voice faint. "Throbbing, stabbing…"

His constant questions would have made her nervous, except his fear seemed to have been replaced by eagerness. Rose bit her lip, trying to figure out the best word to describe it.

"Stabbing sometimes," she said slowly. "That's what woke me up tonight. But also… there's just this constant pressure, like something is pushing against the inside of my skull right here." She tapped her temple.

The Doctor slid back into bed and sat in front of her with his legs crossed. "Would you mind… could I?" He held his hand up to her temple.

Rose studied him for a moment. His hand was trembling ever so slightly, and there was a light in his eyes that she wanted to call excitement. None of it made any sense, but despite that, she trusted the Doctor implicitly.

"Of course, Doctor."

He smiled, then took a deep breath and cupped her face between his hands.

Rose closed her eyes, and a moment later, she felt the Doctor enter her mind. He'd used telepathy with her a few times, typically when she'd had nightmares that wouldn't give up. Every time they did, she was amazed by how much he loved her.

The Doctor in her mind chuckled, making Rose feel like joy was being poured into her mind. _Believe me, Rose, if anyone is blown away by how much love they feel when we're connected like this, it's me._

Rose rolled her eyes and started to argue, but before she could, she felt something else in her mind. It felt a little like the Doctor, but softer and less defined.

 _Is that…_

The Doctor nodded. _That's our daughter._

Rose blinked, and a tear ran down her cheek. _Can we talk to her?_

He took her hand, or the mental version of her hand, and led her towards the new presence. _I think she's been waiting for you to talk to her,_ he said.

As soon as they got close enough for the developing telepathic consciousness to sense them, it slowly floated towards them until they met somewhere in the middle. Rose wasn't sure what to do, but she trusted the Doctor to stop her if she tried anything that would hurt their child.

She held her hand out, and the baby came forward until it was resting in the palm of Rose's hand. _Hello, little one,_ Rose cooed. _I'm your Mummy, and this is your Daddy._

The Doctor rested a gentle hand on top of the tiny mind, and they both gasped when they felt the baby's happiness wash over them. _Hello, darling,_ he said, his voice choked with tears. _Sorry we didn't realise you were trying to say hello, but we're here now._

Rose blinked up at him. _You mean that's why I was getting headaches? The baby wanted to say hello?_

The Doctor nodded, then took his hand away from their daughter. _Here, let's open our eyes and I'll explain more._

Even when the Doctor opened his eyes, he could still feel his daughter in his mind. Now that they'd formed the initial parent-child bond, she would be able to reach out to him without physical contact—which was a good thing, since he didn't have an easy way of initiating contact until she was born.

Rose's eyes fluttered open, and the lines of tension he hadn't noticed until this evening melted away. "I can still feel her," she breathed. "It's like… I can see her in my mind's eye, and hold her and touch her."

The Doctor nodded. "That's exactly what it's like," he agreed. "Gallifreyan babies develop their telepathy at the beginning of the second semester. They reach out for their parents, trying to form a connection with the closest, most familiar minds."

Rose raised an eyebrow, and the Doctor was pretty sure he knew what question was coming next.

"Then how come you didn't tell me to expect it?" she asked, as he predicted. "I mean, I wasn't really worried, because I figured it was just hormones like I said. But I know you could feel how relieved she was when we finally connected with her. She's been waiting a whole week and I just ignored her because I didn't realise what was going on."

The Doctor flinched. He had indeed felt the baby's anxiousness—though thankfully it had faded quickly when they'd formed their connection.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "It just didn't occur to me that you would be able to connect with the baby at all, since you're…"

His voice trailed off before he could finish the sentence. "But you're not really human, are you?" he mumbled to himself. "Stupid Doctor, missing the obvious things."

Rose reached out and rested her hand on his knee, and he opened his eyes to meet her gaze. "It's all right, Doctor," she assured him. "There's still a lot we both have to learn about all the changes to me."

The Doctor sighed and raked his hand through his hair. "I know," he agreed. "Anyway, that's what was happening. The baby started reaching out for you, and because you didn't realise what was happening, you didn't reply the way she expected. And the longer you went without reaching out for her in return, the more insistent she became. Your headaches have gone worse, haven't they?"

Rose nodded. "Yeah, it barely hurt at first, but tonight…" She flinched and pressed her hand to her temple.

A second later, they both felt a wave of apology from the baby. The Doctor watched in awe as Rose soothed their daughter's guilt automatically, without even realising what she was doing.

"Oh, Rose." His voice was thick, and he had to swallow hard before he could continue."I'm so excited to share this with you."

He scooted around on the bed until he was sitting next to Rose, hip to hip. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and her happy little sigh when she cuddled into his arms made his hearts skip a beat.

"Doctor…" she whispered, playing with the buttons on his pyjama top.

"Yes, love?"

She turned her head so she could look into his eyes. "We're having a daughter," she said, her voice soft with wonder.

The Doctor's eyes widened. Her gender had been so obvious to them when they were connected telepathically that he hadn't even noticed they were learning information they hadn't had before.

"Yeah, we are," he agreed, his voice raspy.

oOoOo

The Doctor lay awake long after Rose had drifted to sleep, his mind buzzing with the connection with his daughter. The baby was asleep as well, but that didn't mean he couldn't be amazed by her presence, by the simple fact that she existed.

He felt a pang of guilt when he remembered how relieved the tiny mind had been when they'd first connected with her. Womb-born Gallifreyan babies were rare, but Time Tots who were loomed sought that telepathic connection as well. It wasn't that he hadn't known it was needed…

Rose scooted closer in her sleep and draped an arm over his chest. "Not your fault," she mumbled in her sleep.

The Doctor's eyes widened, and he wondered how many times he would be shocked in the course of one day. How many more surprises could his mind handle?

Rose had picked up on his building guilt, in her sleep. She'd sensed where his mind was wandering and had managed to wake up just enough to tell him to stop feeling guilty before going back to sleep.

The Doctor ran his hands through her hair, careful to keep his touch light enough that it wouldn't wake her up. All the events of the evening made him wonder if…

He took a shaky breath. If Rose was telepathic enough to connect with the baby as easily as she had, then maybe she could also form a bond.

The tiny baby pressed against his mind, and the Doctor chuckled when he realised the message his daughter was passing on—his thoughts were too loud, and he needed to stop so she could sleep.

 _Oh, darling, I'm afraid your daddy is rarely quiet, even in his own mind._ He imagined pressing a kiss to her forehead. _But for you I'll try._

oOoOo

When Rose woke up the next morning, the unfamiliar tickle in her mind caught her off guard for a few moments, until she remembered the events of the night before. As soon as she remembered, she closed her eyes and focused on the sensation, and a moment later, she had her daughter cradled close to her.

The baby was still too young to communicate anything but basic emotions, but the contentment Rose felt from the tiny mind was the most incredible thing she'd ever experienced. It reminded her of the way she could _feel_ the presence of the Doctor's love when they used telepathy, and as she held their daughter, Rose wondered if it was possible to share a connection similar with the Doctor.

 _Speaking of, where is he?_ She'd woken up wrapped in blankets instead of his arms, and though that was enough to keep the chill off her skin, it wasn't the intimacy she craved.

Rose shoved the blankets off and sat up, pushing her hair out of her face as she did. A hint of festive red and white caught her eye, and she picked up the candy cane sitting on her bedside table. There was a note attached to it, and something told her she was in for an adventure.

 _Get dressed, then follow the candy canes. You'll find the next one in the room where you told me we were having a baby._

A giggle escaped Rose as she pulled on the comfy flannel jim jams he'd left out for her. After breaking off a chunk of the candy cane to suck on, she followed the instructions and went to the console room.

Another candy cane was sitting on the jump seat. Rose put it in her breast pocket and read the note. Her stomach growled as she unfolded it, and she hoped there was breakfast waiting for her at some point.

 _I know you're hungry, love. There's tea and toast waiting for you in the galley._

Rose sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Bloody hormones," she muttered as she walked through the ship to the galley. "Of course he's taking care of me—of us. He always does. Nothing to cry about."

The toast settled her stomach and the special caffeine free tea blend evened out her emotions. When she'd drained the cup, she reached for the candy cane dangling from the kettle.

 _Come find me in our favourite spot._

Rose slid both the note and the sweet into her pocket and set out for the library. She and the Doctor had numerous "favourite spots," but when they wanted to relax in the evenings on the ship, they went to the library.

As she approached the room, she could hear faint strains of Christmas music spilling out into the corridor. The door was open a crack, and she took a moment to peer in and study the Doctor.

A smile tugged at her lips as she watched him pace in front of the fireplace. He didn't look nervous, just… too wound up to sit still for long. _Just like the Doctor,_ she thought fondly.

"Rose, I know you're there," he said, only raising his voice a little. "I can smell your shampoo."

Rose rolled her eyes and pushed the door open all the way. "You know," she groused teasingly, "your superior senses really make stealth difficult."

He shrugged unrepentantly. "There are benefits though," he pointed out.

"Yeah… I supposed." Not wanting to sidetrack him from whatever he'd brought her there for, Rose pulled the candy cane out of her pocket. "So, what's going on?" she asked, waving the red-and-white striped confection at him. "Thank you for breakfast, by the way."

His smile was almost shy as he reached for her hand and led her to the couch. "You followed all my hints easily enough I take it?"

Rose nodded as she cuddled into his side. "It was a fun little scavenger hunt. But why candy canes?" She turned slightly so she could watch the Doctor.

He tugged on his ear and his neck turned red. "Well, for one thing, it is the season." He gestured at the library, decked out for the holidays. "But also… it's a good analogy for what I wanted to talk to you about."

Rose felt her forehead crease in a frown. "What do you mean?" She looked down at the candy cane, trying to imagine what the hook could represent.

The Doctor took it from her and held it out in front of them. "Well… there's the white stripe," he said, twisting his finger around the candy cane, "and then the red stripe." He ran his finger back down to the bottom, following the bright red this time. "They're completely separate, but in the candy cane, they're inseparable."

Rose's heart beat a little faster. "Twined together permanently," she agreed.

His knee started bouncing, and she rested her hand on it until she could feel some of his tension ease. "Thank you," he whispered. "I'm a bit nervous."

Despite her own nerves, Rose smiled up at him and pressed her palm to his cheek. "Don't be," she told him firmly. "I love you."

His brown eyes warmed. "And I love you," he agreed. The words weren't rare, but after months of wondering if he would ever say them, they still sent a thrill through Rose.

The Doctor reached for her hand and laced their fingers together. "We've never talked about any kind of… formal commitment to each other," he said, and she could feel how carefully he was choosing his words. "You promised to stay with me forever, and I've told you how much of a commitment just saying 'I love you' is. I really don't feel like we need any kind of legal acknowledgement of our relationship, especially since we're from different planets."

Rose nodded. They'd never actually discussed it, but she'd guessed that was how he felt, and honestly, she agreed. But if she was reading him right…

"What about something that… maybe is more important, more personal than a legal agreement?" she asked, stumbling slightly over the words. "Something more permanent, like the red and white stripes of a candy cane."

The Doctor's eyes widened. "How did you know?" he asked. "I've never mentioned…"

Rose shrugged. "It just occurred to me this morning when I woke up. The baby was right there in my mind, but you weren't anywhere nearby… and I wondered if maybe it would be possible to have some kind of telepathic connection with you like we do with the baby."

He swallowed hard, then nodded. "It was called a bond," he explained. "A marriage bond. A bond would tie our minds together permanently, letting us share our thoughts and feelings."

The Doctor tapped his fingers on his knee as he watched Rose. He desperately wanted a bond with her, but if there was one thing that would dissuade her, it was the fact he'd just mentioned—a bond would take away the sensation of being alone in her own mind.

Rose looked up at him, a hint of a smile in her raised eyebrow. "I know what you're thinking," she told him, "but you're wrong. I might have been upset with you for not telling me the TARDIS would be in my head, but it was the lack of consent that bothered me most, not the telepathy."

The Doctor's eyes widened. "Oh?" he squeaked.

She nodded and took his hand. "I told you last night that I love the way it feels to have you in my head. If it would feel like that all the time…"

"Better," the Doctor said in a rush. "Oh, so much better, Rose. Having a bond with you would mean… knowing each other, inside and out. Being able to see and understand when your bondmate is upset, and offer them the most intimate consolation possible. Holding each other close and never letting go."

Rose took a shaky breath. "Could we… could we do it now?"

Her apparent agreement made the Doctor ache to just run into her mind and never leave. But before he could rush ahead and create a permanent bond with Rose, he double-checked. "Are you sure? This isn't something that can be undone."

Rose frowned at him. "Why d'ya think I'd want to undo it?" she asked bluntly. She reached up and stroked his jawline. "Please, Doctor. I want that so much. I love you, and I want to share a bond with you."

Joy exploded in the Doctor's hearts. "Me, too," he whispered. "Oh, Rose. Me too." He reached for her hands and moved them up so her fingers were resting on his temples, then he copied the same position.

Moving into her mind felt as natural as breathing, and a moment later, he felt Rose in his mind. _You're hardwired for this,_ she realised. _Why've you never said anything before?_

The Doctor tugged on his ear. _I didn't think you'd be able to bond, just like I didn't realise you'd be able to connect with the baby. It was shortsighted of me, but that's the only answer I have. But now I know, and here we are._

Rose stepped closer to him in their telepathic landscape. She tilted her head and smiled up at him, he tongue teasing him. _Here we are,_ she agreed. _So weren't we about to do something?_

The Doctor laughed. _Rose Tyler, I love you_. He could feel how much joy those words gave her, and he resolved to say them more often.

Focusing on more than her presence around him, the Doctor found the strand of consciousness that was at the core of who Rose was. _Are you ready, love?_ A moment later, he gasped when Rose reached for him, sending a bolt of pleasure through him. _I guess you are._

He reached out for that strand that represented Rose and twisted his own mind around it. The tiny presence of their daughter was there too, not part of their bond, but part of who they were.

Rose reached out for her mind as the Doctor bound them together. _She's like the thin red stripe in the candy cane,_ she observed. _The big red and white stripes are what really make up the candy cane, but that thin stripe is there too, just like our baby._

The Doctor paused and looked down at her. _You're brilliant, love,_ he told her, amazed once again by her instinctive understanding of something that was brand new to her. He shook his head and focused on completing the almost-complete bond.

Rose was so happy, she almost couldn't breathe. Looking around her mind now, she could see the red and white twisted strands of their new bond, tying them together.

She tilted her head and looked up at the Doctor when she caught him thinking of the bond as almost-complete. _There's more?_ She couldn't imagine anything more intimate than having his mind wrapped around her own.

He smiled, then closed his eyes and pressed his hand to her heart. _Do what I'm doing,_ he encouraged her.

Rose didn't understand what the purpose was, but she put her hand on the Doctor's chest and pressed lightly, just as he was doing.

A moment later, she gasped when she felt him take her hand. Her eyes flew open and she looked at her hand, but it was still on the Doctor's chest.

 _Don't stop,_ he told her urgently. _Oh, God Rose—don't stop._

Rose took a shaky breath and tried again, and this time, when she felt his hand, she took it firmly in her own. As she did, she felt the twisted cord of their bond attach itself to the very centre of her mind.

The faint impression she'd had before of the Doctor's thoughts and emotions sharpened. It reminded Rose of the moment in _The Wizard of Oz_ when Dorothy opened her door and her black and white life was suddenly replaced with Technicolour.

 _Yes,_ the Doctor agreed. _Oh, Rose._

A moment later, Rose felt his nonverbal request to pull back from the telepathic connection. She hesitated for a moment, afraid to lose the incredible feeling of oneness. But when she finally blinked and looked up at his face, illuminated by the lights from the Christmas tree, she realised he was still in her mind.

Rose closed her eyes for a moment, struggling to handle the intensity of feeling the Doctor in her mind and also seeing him physically sitting in front of her. She felt his fingers on her cheeks, brushing tears away, and that gave her the focus she needed to open her eyes.

"Bloody hormones," she muttered, smiling up at the Doctor through her tears. "Of course I'd end up crying in the middle of our… wedding?"

A wide, goofy smile stretched across the Doctor's face, and his head bobbed enthusiastically. "Really, there's only one thing missing for it to be a perfect wedding," he mused.

With his mind twined around hers in a red and white stripe that would bind them together forever, Rose knew exactly where he was going. Still, it was fun to pretend. "Oh?" She slid her hands over his shoulders and watched his eyes darken as she scraped her nails through his hair.

The Doctor blinked twice, then he smirked down at her, making Rose's heart race. A moment later, he'd pulled her into his lap before she even realised what was happening.

"Mm-hmm." He leaned in slowly, and Rose's breath caught. "I think it goes something like… 'You may now kiss the bride.'"


End file.
